Automatic controlling valve



ne'c. 7,1926. 1,609,954

J. A. MCGREW ET AL AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING VALVE Filed Jan. 6, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 1/0011 I JIM/1M6)? J0me 2 3 C, WM mumm Dec. 7 1926.

J. A. M GREW ET AL AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING VALVE F l 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented as. 7, 1926.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. MOGREW Lrinnm STEEL This invention relates to AND JAMES T.LOREE, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO BETH- COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIG CONTROLLING VALVE.

Application filed January 6, 1922. Serial No. 527,302.

automatic controlling valves and more particularly to a control valvefor power generating units.

Primarily, our present invention is devised for use in connection withropulsion units,

nism for vehicle control mechasuch, for

instance, as that isclosed in our Patent No. 1,580,211, issued April 13,1926. In the application referred to we have described and claimed animproved method and means for controlling the iary or booster wherebythe tractive power may effective operation of auxilmotors forlocomotives be increased to aid in the propulsion of a train overcontrolling road gradients or from terminals.

As one of the essential component parts of such controlling mechanism,we

employ a valve w nectcd to parts of for connecting the hich isoperatively conthe entrainment gearing booster motor to a (111V- en axleand synchronizing such effective entra-inrnent of the booster motor withthe operation of the motor at its maximum power generating capacity.

The subject matter of the present application involves the novelfeatures of this automatic control valve and while we have foundadmirably adapted. for

that such a valve is use in connection with an auxiliary propulsion unitor booster motor for controlling the latter, it will scription proceeds,

the operation of be manifest, as the dethat our present invention is notnecessarily limited in its utility to such specific application and use.

Our present invention broadly comprehends a valve subject to theinfluence of the steam or other energizing medium of the booster motorfor automatically controlling the eifective operation of said motor andwhich valve is of exceedingly simple construction and therefore positiveand'reliable in its functional operation.

With the above and other obj cts in view,

the invention consists in matic controlvalve for the improved autopowergenerating units and in the form, proportion and relative arrangement ofits several parts as be hereinafter more full will described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporatedclaims.

in the subjoined In the drawings wherein we have illustrated onepractica ment of our invent l and preferable embodiion and in whichsimilar taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a view showing the improved control valve operativelyconnected with the shiftable power transmission gear of the motorentrainment gearing and illustrating the valve member in an intermediateposition with respect to the supply port leadin to the cylinders of thebooster motor.

pon reference to our pending application above referred to, it will benoted that the pressure operated control valve for effecting asynchronous entrainment of the booster motor to the driven axle with thefull speed operation of said motor, is interposed in the steam supplyline which supp'lies superheated steam from the locomotive power plantto the cylinders of the booster motor. This valve includes a cylindricalcasing 5 formed at its-lower end with an inlet neck 6 extendinglaterally 1 from one side of the cylinder and having a width at itsinner end exceeding the diameter of said cylinder, as clearly shown inFig. 3 of the drawings.

he outlet neck or connection 7 is also formed integrally with the lowerend of the cylinder 5 and at its point of connection with said cylinderin a plane above the connection of the inlet neck 6 to said cylinder isof awidth greater than the width of said inlet neck, thereby providingpockets or chambers 8 at opposite sides of the cylinder bore and inconnection therewith. The vertical height of these pockets at the sidesthereof communicating with the extension of the outlet neck 7 is greaterthan the remaining portions of said pockets. This increase in height isobtained by providing the pockets at their open sides with thedownwardly inclined lower walls 9 leading to the outlet neck 7. Spacedwebs 10 extend between these inclined sections of the pocket walls andthe body wall of the cylinder 5.

' The outlet neck 7 is shown in the drawings as angularly or obliquelyextended, though this feature is not esseutial,.as in the variousapplications of our invention which are possible, it may be founddesirable to extend both the outlet and the inlet connections to thevalve cylinder in various other an ular directions with respect to thecylinder axis. However, we have found that in order to secure the bestresults, it is important that the transverse dimension of the outletneck 7 at its point of connection with the pockets of chambers 8 shouldexceed the cross sectional area of the cylinder so as to permit of thefree movement of the steam into this outlet connection as it passesthrough said chambers in the movement of the valve member.

The movable valve member is in the form of a piston 11 fixed to thelower end of a rod 12, said rod being guided in its move ment by thecylinder head 13. Between. the cylinder head and the piston 11 a spring14 is interposed and acts to force said piston downwardl to the normalosition shown in broken ines in Fig. 2 o the drawings whereincommunication between the inlet and outlet connections 6 and 7 throughthe lower end of the valve cylinder and the chambers 8 is closed. v

As shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, the driving shaft 15 is operativelyconnected to the piston of the booster motor and upon said shaft a gear16 is fixed and in constant mesh with the power transmission gear 17journalled'in a suitable frame 18 loosely mounted upon the driving shaft15 for rocking movement. The gear 17 is adapted to be entrained with anddisentrained from a gear 19 fixed u on the driven shaft or axle (notshown). t will be understood that this mounting and arrangement of thegear is purely illustrative and in no wise implies any limitation uponthe application in use of our improved control valve, since it isobvious that the movable valve piston might be operatively connected topower transmission means assembled and arranged otherwise than as abovedescribed. For the purposes of the present explanation it will sufliceto state that the upper end of the valve rod 12 is operatively connectedto the frame 18 so that in the reciprocating movement of the valvepiston 11 in the cylinder 5, the said frame will be rocked or oscillatedon the shaft 15 to move the transmission gear 17 either into or out ofmeshing engagement with the driven gear 19.

Normally, or when steam is not being supplied to the cylinders of thepower enerating unit, the valve piston 11 is in t e position indicatedin Fig. 2 of the drawings. Upon the entrance of steam to the inlet 6 thesteam pressure first acts against the bottom face of the valve piston 11to force said piston upwardly against the action of the spring 14. It isobvious, therefore, that the frame 18 carrying the transmission gear 17is rocked on the driving shaft 15. If the teeth of the transmission gear17 are not in proper registering relation with the spaces between theteeth on the driven gear 19, the continued movement of the valve piston11 is checked by the peripheral contact of the teeth of the respectivegears with each other. This intermediate position of the valve piston wehave illustrated in Fig. 7 and it will be observed that the bottom faceof the piston is in a plane intersecting the inclined wall portions 9 ofthe pockets 8 and is spaced slightly above the lower edge of the outletport. Thus steam in small volume may pass through the outlet 7 and thepipe connection leading to the cylinders of the power generating unit.The steam pressure entering the cylinders, is sufficient to start the oeration of the pistons therein at slow spec thus rotating the drivingshaft 15 and imparting rotation through the gear 16 to the transmissiongear 17. Instantaneously upon the movement of the teeth of saidtransmission gear into opposed relation to the spaces between the teethon the driving gear 19, the steam pressure further acts against thepiston 11 to move the same upwardly above the lower walls of the ockets8 so that steam may freely enter said pockets and pass therefrom intothe outlet 7. In this further movement of the transmission gear 17, fullentrainment of its teeth with the teeth on the driven gear 19 iseffected and simultaneously therewith, the full volume of steam entersthe cylinders of the propulsion unit which is then operated at itsmaximum power generating capacity. In this manner, it will be seen thatthe entrainment of the power generating unit with the axle to be driventhereby is automatically synchronized with the effective energization ofsaid unit whereby the power generated therefrom may be utilized for theaccomplishment of the desired purpose.

In our issued Patents Nos. 1,447,352 and 1,447,353, dated March 6, 1923,we describe and claim an entrainment mechanism for power generatingunits wherein there is broadly included an automatic control valveactuated by the influence of the energizing medium for the power unit.In the present application we disclose a specific embodiment of thisautomatic control valve which is herein claimed per se regardless of itsparticular arrangement in combination with other mechanical elementsoperated and con trolled thereby.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that by means of our presentinvention, we insure a proper complete entrainment of the power unitwith the driven shaft and entirely obviate liability of stripping thegear teeth or subjecting the parts of the entrainment mechanism to unduestrain. It will further be seen that upon cutting 011' the steam supplythe spring 14 instantly acts to return the valve piston 11 to its normalposition and disentrain the motor from the driven axle so that said axlemay continue to freely rotate while the entrainment gearing and themotor or power unit are idle.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation and severaladvantages of ourimproved automatic control valve will be clearlyunderstood. Owing to the very simple construction of the valve, thepassage of the steam to the cylinders is properly controlled for thepurposes above referred to in a very positive and reliable manner. Theseveral parts may be produced by simple mechanical operations and arenot liable to get out of order even after long continued use so that thenecessity of makin repairs will be an infrequent occurrence. e haveabove described a specific construction of our invention which has beensubjected to severe .practical tests and found entirely satisfactory forthe purpose in view. Nevertheless, it is recognized that the same endmight be attained by alternative mechanica structures wherein the sameprinciple is involved. Accordingly, it will be understood that while wehave disclosed herein a preferred form of the device, nu-

(ill

merous modifications may be made in the form, proportion and relativearrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed.

We claim:

1. An automatic control valve .including a cylinder having inlet andoutlet connections, a piston reciprocating in said cylinder, saidcylinder being provided with chambers communicating with the outlet,said outlet between the chambers directly communicating with the bore ofthe valve cylinder, means co-acting with the valve piston to normallyclose communication between the inlet and said chambers and yielding tothe influence of fluid pressure to initially permit the direct passageof the fluid into the outlet and then subsequently connect said chamberswith the inlet to permit the pressure fluid to pass in full volume tothe outlet.

2. An automatic control valve including a cylinder having inlet andoutlet connections and the cylinder wall provided at opposite sidesthereof with chambers directly connecting the outlet with the bore ofsaid cylinder, the capacity of the outlet passage at its connection withthe cylinder and the combined capacity of said chambers at their egresssides being substantially equal to permit of the unretarded flow offluid from said chambers into the outlet passage, and a piston operatingin said cylinder and controlling communication between the inlet andsaid chambers.

3. An automatic control valve including a cylinder having an inletconnection and an outlet connection spaced from the inlet connectionlongitudinally of the cylinder, said outlet connection at its junctionwith the cylinder having a transverse dimension exceeding the diameterof the cylinder and providing chambers communicating with opposite sidesof the cylinder bore, said chambers having their walls at one side ofthe outlet obliquely inclined to provide a flaring connection betweensaid chambers and the outlet, and a pressure-influenced pistonreciprocating in said cylinder and separating said chambers from eachother at the inlet side of the valve, said piston acting in its movementin one direction to progressively establish communication between theinlet and said chambers and thereby control the passage of the pressurefluid in gradually increasing volume to the outlet connection.

4. An automatic control valve including a cylinder having an inletconnection extending laterally from one side thereof, an outlet directlycommunicatin with the cylinder bore at its opposite si e, said outlet atits connection with the cylinder having a fluid passage of greater widththan the diameter of the cylinder and providing fluid receiving chamberseach extending partially around the cylinder and directly communicatingpiston reclprocating in said cylinder operating in its movement in onedirection to initially permit of the passage of fluid in small volumedirectly into the outlet connection, and then subsequently permit thepassage of fluid in greater volume through said chambers to the outletconnection.

In testimony that we claim the fore oing as our invention, and we havesigne our names hereunder.

JOHN A. MoGREW. JAMES T. LOREE.

with the bore thereof, and a'

